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Business Times
a day ago
- Business
- Business Times
How Musim Mas navigates palm oil's bad reputation
[SINGAPORE] Deforestation can drive wildlife to the brink of extinction, trigger transboundary haze from the fires set to clear the vegetation, and contribute to forced labour – and its association with palm oil accounts for the industry's bad reputation. The director of sustainable supply chain at palm oil conglomerate Musim Mas does not deny it. 'Unfortunately,... we are still at that stage of saying 'We are not as bad as people think',' said Olivier Tichit. 'But if you go and ask a palm oil farmer what he thinks about palm oil, a (different picture emerges). The farmer does not understand why palm oil is demonised, and the consumer might not understand why farmers or companies are still turning to palm oil. So I think we still lack that connection between palm oil farmers and the global markets.' Information gaps exist in other aspects of the sector too. In 2021, the Indonesian government reported that deforestation rates had fallen by three-quarters to their lowest levels since 1990, when tracking such data began. But two years later, French geospatial company The TreeMap found that deforestation caused by single-crop palm oil plantations was once more on the rise. To address such discrepancies, Musim Mas, one of the largest integrated palm oil players, was the first from Indonesia to join the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), noted Tichit. Formed in 2004, the non-profit group facilitates the exchange of information on sustainability among stakeholders. It has more than 5,000 member organisations globally. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 12.30 pm ESG Insights An exclusive weekly report on the latest environmental, social and governance issues. Sign Up Sign Up Tichit admitted, however, that 'while we have 98 per cent traceability to plantations, it is very hard to get to 100 per cent because of the dynamic nature of the supply chain'. Tichit says that since the suppliers are usually one or two steps removed from the company, they may not see the need to disclose certain information – or they may view the process of reporting their emissions as daunting. PHOTO: MUSIM MAS Musim Mas conducts its primary operations in Indonesia, working with third-party suppliers and has trained almost 47,000 smallholder farmers. This increases its exposure to Scope 3 emissions significantly, said Tichit, referring to indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that occur along a company's value chain. Given that 91 per cent of what the Singapore-headquartered company processes is from third parties, it is vital for it to monitor and control Scope 3 emissions in order to meet its 'net-zero by 2050' goal, he added. The main challenge to doing that comes from the lack of clarity on these emissions. Tichit said that since the suppliers are usually one or two steps removed from the company, they may not see the need to disclose certain information – or they may view the process of reporting their emissions as daunting. Getting a better view Musim Mas thus spends 'an inordinate amount of time' engaging with its suppliers, especially those who are not RSPO-certified, and explaining to them what deforestation and peat are. 'What we can do is to be clear about what compliance is, and how you address it when there is an issue,' he added. Tichit said that when the company needs information from its partner farms, it helps to frame the questions differently. 'For example, instead of asking them when their land use changed (and whether they have) high or low land use... often, what we need from them is just: 'Was there a crop before? When did you plant?'' Musim Mas also relies on satellite imagery to track the extent of deforestation caused by its partner farms. It also conducts risk assessments on its suppliers, based on what they disclose and the credibility of this information. The company then assigns its many suppliers 'risk levels', which indicate which of them are trustworthy, and whether their actual emissions can be monitored in real time. 'We are trying to be as conservative as we can, without making it impossible for us to buy from anybody,' noted Tichit. He added: 'We need to ensure that it is easy for the information to come to us, so we can translate it into what the actual emissions are, how we assess them, and when we need to intervene.' The company also utilises the PalmGHG Calculator, developed by RSPO to help palm oil producers estimate and monitor their GHG emissions. Musim Mas has ventured into impact investing as well, through its initiatives with the smallholder farmers who are integrated into its supply chain, said Tichit. These programmes include training the farmers on good agricultural practices. These investments are set to grow. 'We are looking beyond tomorrow – how do we keep the youth now on the farm? How do we make it so that they will have a good living income and be better equipped to be better farm managers? These are some of the programmes that Musim Mas has invested in to prepare itself and the industry for the future.'
The Star
23-04-2025
- Politics
- The Star
High cost of massive food plan
A SOLDIER gives a thumbs up as he crosses a rice field on a combine harvester in remote Papua, where a government food security mega-project has raised fears of mass deforestation. Keen to end its reliance on rice imports, Indonesia wants to plant vast tracts of the crop, along with sugar cane for biofuel, in the restive eastern region. But environmentalists warn it could become the world's largest deforestation project, threatening endangered species and Jakarta's climate commitments. And activists fear the scheme will fuel rights violations in a region long plagued by alleged military abuses as a separatist insurgency rumbles on. The project's true scale is hard to ascertain; even government statements vary. At a minimum, however, it aims to plant several million hectares of rice and sugar cane across South Papua province's Merauke. One million hectares is around the size of Lebanon. Deforestation linked to the plan is already under way. By late last year, more than 11,000 hectares had been cleared – an area larger than Paris – according to Franky Samperante of environmental and Indigenous rights NGO Yayasan Pusaka Bentala Rakyat. That figure has only increased, according to analysis by campaign group Mighty Earth and conservation start-up The TreeMap. Their work shows areas cleared include primary and secondary natural dryland and swamp forest, as well as secondary mangrove forest, savanna and bush. 'Usually, deforestation is a product of government not doing its job,' said Mighty Earth chief executive Glenn Hurowitz. 'But in this case, it's actually the state saying we want to clear some of our last remaining forests, carbon-rich peatlands and habitat for rare animals,' he said. Indonesia's government says the land targeted is degraded, already cultivated or in need of 'optimisation', dismissing some areas as little more than swamps. Environmentalists argue that misunderstands the local ecosystem. 'In South Papua, the landscape and the ecosystem is lowland forest,' said Franky. 'There are often misconceptions or even belittling' of these ecosystems, he added. Mapping done by Mighty Earth shows the project threatens a broader ecosystem range – including peatlands and forests the group says should be protected by a government moratorium on clearing. 'The tragedy in this project,' said Hurowitz, 'is that Indonesia has made so much progress in breaking the link between agricultural expansion and deforestation. 'Unfortunately, this single project threatens to undermine all progress.' Indonesia has some of the world's highest deforestation rates and Papua retains some of the largest remaining untouched tracts. Indonesian think-tank CELIOS says cutting down so much forest could derail Jakarta's plan to reach net-zero by 2050. For President Prabowo Subianto's government, criticism of the project ignores Indonesia's agricultural and economic realities. He has made the scheme a priority, visiting soon after taking office. In January, he said the country was on track to end rice imports by late 2025, and reiterated its energy independence needs. In Papua, planting is in full swing. In the region's Kaliki district, farmers were seen supported by soldiers tending rice paddies in recently-cleared land. 'This location used to be like the one on the right here. Non-productive and neglected land,' said Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani, a soldier serving as the agriculture ministry's food resilience taskforce chief, at an event lauding the project. That characterisation is disputed by Mighty Earth's satellite analysis, which found that at least two areas in the region cleared for rice overlap with government-designated peatland. Indonesia's military is heavily involved in the project. Local farmer Yohanis Yandi Gebze said soldiers gave him 'tools, agricultural equipment and machinery' for rice cultivation. Speaking not far from Ahmad Rizal's event, he praised the military. 'I see them cooperating with the people very well,' he said. Others say that is only part of the story. Indonesia officially seized Papua, a former Dutch colony, in a widely criticised but UN-backed vote in 1969. It has since been accused of abuses in a decades-long separatist conflict in the region. 'The community feels intimidated,' said Dewanto Talubun, executive director at Merauke-based environmental and rights group Perkumpulan Harmoni Alam Papuana. 'Not all members of the community agree with this project, and they cannot directly refuse,' he said. Franky too had reported local fears. 'Almost every day a human rights violation occurs,' he said. The defence ministry said the military had the resources and 'high discipline' to accelerate the food project while securing 'stability and security' in the region. However, there are significant doubts about the project's viability. 'Soils in Merauke are likely too acidic and the climate too extreme ... to grow rice,' said David Gaveau, founder of The TreeMap. He warned that draining Merauke's wetlands for agriculture risks turning the area 'into a tinder box' – a fate seen elsewhere in Indonesia. Critics do not dispute Jakarta's food security needs, but said crops should be grown elsewhere on abandoned agricultural land. 'It should be done in places that are capable of absorbing it,' said Hurowitz. 'Without destroying Indonesia's gorgeous, beautiful natural heritage and community lands.' — AFP
Malay Mail
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Indonesia food plan risks ‘world's largest' deforestation
JAKARTA, April 23 — An Indonesian soldier gives a thumbs up as he crosses a rice field on a combine harvester in remote Papua, where a government food security mega-project has raised fears of mass deforestation. Keen to end its reliance on rice imports, Indonesia wants to plant vast tracts of the crop, along with sugar cane for biofuel, in the restive eastern region. But environmentalists warn it could become the world's largest deforestation project, threatening endangered species and Jakarta's climate commitments. And activists fear the scheme will fuel rights violations in a region long plagued by alleged military abuses as a separatist insurgency rumbles on. The project's true scale is hard to ascertain; even government statements vary. At a minimum, however, it aims to plant several million hectares of rice and sugar cane across South Papua province's Merauke. One million hectares is around the size of Lebanon. Deforestation linked to the plan is already under way. By late last year, more than 11,000 hectares had been cleared—an area larger than Paris—according to Franky Samperante of environmental and Indigenous rights NGO Yayasan Pusaka Bentala Rakyat. That figure has only increased, according to analysis by campaign group Mighty Earth and conservation start-up The TreeMap. Their work shows areas cleared include primary and secondary natural dryland and swamp forest, as well as secondary mangrove forest, savanna and bush. 'Usually, deforestation is a product of government not doing its job,' said Mighty Earth chief executive Glenn Hurowitz. 'But in this case, it's actually the state saying we want to clear some of our last remaining forests, carbon-rich peatlands, habitat for rare animals,' he told AFP. Indonesia's government says the land targeted is degraded, already cultivated or in need of 'optimisation', dismissing some areas as little more than swamps. 'Tragedy' Environmentalists argue that misunderstands the local ecosystem. 'In South Papua, the landscape and the ecosystem is lowland forest,' said Samperante. 'There are often misconceptions or even belittling' of these ecosystems, he added. Mapping done by Mighty Earth shows the project threatens a broader ecosystem range—including peatlands and forests the group says should be protected by a government moratorium on clearing. 'The tragedy in this project,' said Hurowitz, 'is that Indonesia has made so much progress in breaking the link between agricultural expansion and deforestation.' 'Unfortunately, this single project threatens to undermine all progress.' Indonesia has some of the world's highest deforestation rates and Papua retains some of the largest remaining untouched tracts. Indonesian think-tank CELIOS says cutting down so much forest could derail Jakarta's plan to reach net-zero by 2050. For President Prabowo Subianto's government, criticism of the project ignores Indonesia's agricultural and economic realities. He has made the scheme a priority, visiting soon after taking office. In January, he said the country was on track to end rice imports by late 2025, and reiterated its energy independence needs. The agriculture ministry did not respond to AFP's request for comment. In Papua, planting is in full swing. In the region's Kaliki district, AFP saw farmers supported by soldiers tending rice paddies in recently-cleared land. 'This location used to be like the one on the right here. Non-productive and neglected land,' said Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani, a soldier serving as the agriculture ministry's food resilience taskforce chief, at an event lauding the project. That characterisation is disputed by Mighty Earth's satellite analysis, which found that at least two areas in the region cleared for rice overlap with government-designated peatland. Indonesia's military is heavily involved in the project. Local farmer Yohanis Yandi Gebze told AFP soldiers gave him 'tools, agricultural equipment and machinery' for rice cultivation. Speaking not far from Ramdhani's event, he praised the military. 'I see them cooperating with the people very well,' he said. 'Cannot refuse' Others say that is only part of the story. Indonesia officially seized Papua, a former Dutch colony, in a widely criticised but UN-backed vote in 1969. It has since been accused of abuses in a decades-long separatist conflict in the region. 'The community feels intimidated,' said Dewanto Talubun, executive director at Merauke-based environmental and rights group Perkumpulan Harmoni Alam Papuana. 'Not all members of the community agree with this project, and they cannot directly refuse,' he told AFP. Samperante too reported local fears. 'Almost every day a human rights violation occurs,' he said. The defence ministry told AFP the military had the resources and 'high discipline' to accelerate the food project while securing 'stability and security' in the region. However, there are significant doubts about the project's viability. 'Soils in Merauke are likely too acidic and the climate too extreme... to grow rice,' said David Gaveau, founder of The TreeMap. He warned that draining Merauke's wetlands for agriculture risks turning the area 'into a tinder box'—a fate seen elsewhere in Indonesia. Critics do not dispute Jakarta's food security needs, but said crops should be grown elsewhere on abandoned agricultural land. 'It should be done in places that are capable of absorbing it,' said Hurowitz. 'Without destroying Indonesia's gorgeous, beautiful natural heritage and community lands.' — AFP
Arab News
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Indonesia food plan risks ‘world's largest' deforestation
JAKARTA: An Indonesian soldier gives a thumbs up as he crosses a rice field on a combine harvester in remote Papua, where a government food security megaproject has raised fears of mass deforestation. Keen to end its reliance on rice imports, Indonesia wants to plant vast tracts of the crop, along with sugar cane for biofuel, in the restive eastern region. But environmentalists warn it could become the world's largest deforestation project, threatening endangered species and Jakarta's climate commitments. And activists fear the scheme will fuel rights violations in a region long plagued by alleged military abuses as a separatist insurgency rumbles on. The project's true scale is hard to ascertain; even government statements vary. At a minimum, however, it aims to plant several million hectares of rice and sugar cane across South Papua province's Merauke. One million hectares is around the size of Lebanon. Deforestation linked to the plan is already under way. By late last year, more than 11,000 hectares had been cleared — an area larger than Paris — according to Franky Samperante of environmental and Indigenous rights NGO Yayasan Pusaka Bentala Rakyat. That figure has only increased, according to analysis by campaign group Mighty Earth and conservation start-up The TreeMap. Their work shows areas cleared include primary and secondary natural dryland and swamp forest, as well as secondary mangrove forest, savanna and bush. 'Usually, deforestation is a product of government not doing its job,' said Mighty Earth chief executive Glenn Hurowitz. 'But in this case, it's actually the state saying we want to clear some of our last remaining forests, carbon-rich peatlands, habitat for rare animals,' he told AFP. Indonesia's government says the land targeted is degraded, already cultivated or in need of 'optimization,' dismissing some areas as little more than swamps. Environmentalists argue that misunderstands the local ecosystem. 'In South Papua, the landscape and the ecosystem is lowland forest,' said Samperante. 'There are often misconceptions or even belittling' of these ecosystems, he added. Mapping done by Mighty Earth shows the project threatens a broader ecosystem range — including peatlands and forests the group says should be protected by a government moratorium on clearing. 'The tragedy in this project,' said Hurowitz, 'is that Indonesia has made so much progress in breaking the link between agricultural expansion and deforestation.' 'Unfortunately, this single project threatens to undermine all progress.' Indonesia has some of the world's highest deforestation rates and Papua retains some of the largest remaining untouched tracts. Indonesian think tank CELIOS says cutting down so much forest could derail Jakarta's plan to reach net-zero by 2050. For President Prabowo Subianto's government, criticism of the project ignores Indonesia's agricultural and economic realities. He has made the scheme a priority, visiting soon after taking office. In January, he said the country was on track to end rice imports by late 2025, and reiterated its energy independence needs.
Japan Times
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Indonesia food plan risks 'world's largest' deforestation
An Indonesian soldier gives a thumbs up as he crosses a rice field on a combine harvester in remote Papua, where a government food security mega-project has raised fears of mass deforestation. Keen to end its reliance on rice imports, Indonesia wants to plant vast tracts of the crop, along with sugar cane for biofuel, in the restive eastern region. But environmentalists warn it could become the world's largest deforestation project, threatening endangered species and Jakarta's climate commitments. And activists fear the plan will fuel rights violations in a region long plagued by alleged military abuses as a separatist insurgency rumbles on. The project's true scale is hard to ascertain; even government statements vary. At a minimum, however, it aims to plant several million hectares of rice and sugar cane across South Papua province's Merauke. 1 million hectares is around the size of Lebanon. Deforestation linked to the plan is already underway. By late last year, more than 11,000 hectares had been cleared — an area larger than Paris — according to Franky Samperante of environmental and Indigenous rights nongovernmental organization Yayasan Pusaka Bentala Rakyat. That figure has only increased, according to analysis by campaign group Mighty Earth and conservation start-up The TreeMap. Their work shows areas cleared include primary and secondary natural dryland and swamp forest, as well as secondary mangrove forest, savanna and bush. A deforested area that will be converted into a sugar cane plantation, directly threatening the adjacent customary forest protected by the Kwipalo Clan in Mandiri Jagebob, Merauke regency, South Papua, on March 17 | MIGHTY EARTH / via AFP-JIJI "Usually, deforestation is a product of government not doing its job," said Mighty Earth chief executive Glenn Hurowitz. "But in this case, it's actually the state saying we want to clear some of our last remaining forests, carbon-rich peatlands, habitat for rare animals," he said. Indonesia's government says the land targeted is degraded, already cultivated or in need of "optimization," dismissing some areas as little more than swamps. 'Tragedy' Environmentalists argue that misunderstands the local ecosystem. "In South Papua, the landscape and the ecosystem is lowland forest," said Samperante. "There are often misconceptions or even belittling" of these ecosystems, he added. Mapping done by Mighty Earth shows the project threatens a broader ecosystem range — including peatlands and forests the group says should be protected by a government moratorium on clearing. "The tragedy in this project," said Hurowitz, "is that Indonesia has made so much progress in breaking the link between agricultural expansion and deforestation. "Unfortunately, this single project threatens to undermine all progress." Indonesia has some of the world's highest deforestation rates, and Papua retains some of the largest remaining untouched tracts. Indonesian think tank CELIOS says cutting down so much forest could derail Jakarta's plan to reach net-zero by 2050. For President Prabowo Subianto's government, criticism of the project ignores Indonesia's agricultural and economic realities. He has made the plan a priority, visiting soon after taking office. In January, he said the country was on track to end rice imports by late 2025, and reiterated its energy independence needs. The agriculture ministry did not respond to a request for comment. In Papua, planting is in full swing. In the region's Kaliki district, AFP saw farmers supported by soldiers tending rice paddies in recently cleared land. "This location used to be like the one on the right here. Non-productive and neglected land," said Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani, a soldier serving as the agriculture ministry's food resilience taskforce chief, at an event lauding the project. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (right) speaks with locals during his visit to an agriculture program site, developed as part of a national plan to achieve food self-sufficiency, at Wanam village in Merauke, South Papua Province, on Nov. 3, 2024. | INDONESIAN PRESIDENTIAL PALACE / via AFP-JIJI That characterization is disputed by Mighty Earth's satellite analysis, which found that at least two areas in the region cleared for rice overlap with government-designated peatland. Indonesia's military is heavily involved in the project. Local farmer Yohanis Yandi Gebze said soldiers gave him "tools, agricultural equipment and machinery" for rice cultivation. Speaking not far from Ramdhani's event, he praised the military. "I see them cooperating with the people very well," he said. 'Cannot refuse' Others say that is only part of the story. Indonesia officially seized Papua, a former Dutch colony, in a widely criticized but U.N.-backed vote in 1969. It has since been accused of abuses in a decadeslong separatist conflict in the region. "The community feels intimidated," said Dewanto Talubun, executive director at Merauke-based environmental and rights group Perkumpulan Harmoni Alam Papuana. "Not all members of the community agree with this project, and they cannot directly refuse," he said. Samperante, too, reported local fears. "Almost every day, a human rights violation occurs," he said. The defense ministry said the military had the resources and "high discipline" to accelerate the food project while securing "stability and security" in the region. However, there are significant doubts about the project's viability. "Soils in Merauke are likely too acidic and the climate too extreme ... to grow rice," said David Gaveau, founder of The TreeMap. He warned that draining Merauke's wetlands for agriculture risks turning the area "into a tinder box" — a fate seen elsewhere in Indonesia. Critics do not dispute Jakarta's food security needs but said crops should be grown elsewhere on abandoned agricultural land. "It should be done in places that are capable of absorbing it," said Hurowitz. "Without destroying Indonesia's gorgeous, beautiful natural heritage and community lands."
